This artist converted a rundown Phillip Island fibro shack into a beach getaway

It has the humble exterior you’d expect of its ilk, but inside artist Madeleine Stamer’s beach shack on Phillip Island is a vibrant treasure trove of colours and patterns. 

Stamer has turned the “classic fibro cement box” in Cowes into a welcoming and relaxing home-away-from-home to which she, her husband Karl and their daughters, Wilhelmina, 14, and Ada, 12, flock at every opportunity.  

Colourful Anatolian kilims adorn the floors, and the walls are covered in an eclectic mix, from original photographs and wall hangings by Australian artists to art prints by Wiinblad and Tretchikoff. Then there are the more quirky finds, including a 1970s orange tubular mirror from Gumtree, and one of Stamer’s favourite pieces: a charcoal op-shop bargain bought for $5. “It’s a portrait of a posh-looking lady from the ’60s,” she says. “We call her Mrs P.”

The assortment of shapes, hues and configurations works thanks to Stamer’s artist’s eye, developed over years working as a ceramicist, painter, illustrator and art educator. 

Intuition “and a sprinkling of sentimentality” guide her as she treats the home “like a gallery space”. One of the first things she and Karl did when they bought the property was erase its mission-brown vibe with a coat of white paint.  

“White walls are my springboard for showcasing colour, playful knick-knacks and curios,” she says. 

Even the most artistically challenged visitor might be encouraged to try their hand at chalk drawing, with one of the living room walls turned into a blackboard that’s often covered in bright works by Wilhelmina and Ada. 

Stamer finds respite in regularly rearranging the displays and artworks and often introduces found items from nature collected on family walks. 

“A grouping of humble gum leaves or a rogue feather is the perfect addition to fill an otherwise blank spot on the wall,” she says. “There’s always a blob of Blu Tack on hand for this very reason.”

The family has named their holiday shack Plover Haus, in dedication to the birds that nest on the island’s beaches. 

The place has come a long way since they bought it in 2016 – rodent droppings, sunken ceilings and filthy surfaces are the scenes Stamer remembers from the first days at the property. 

While many might have run a mile, the run-down shack met the couple’s brief; they were looking to invest some time and love into an old place and make new memories after losing two close family members in one sad year. “I turned to my husband and said, ‘life is too short’,” Stamer says. 

“My challenge was to find the cheapest property available on the island. My husband and I initially inspected a few run-down properties but we eventually fell for Plover Haus and, yes, it was bottom of the barrel, but there was potential.”

It was a slow, physically exhausting process of weekend clean-ups just to return the shack to a blank canvas, but Stamer says the hours spent cleaning, sanding, filling and painting transformed more than just the home.

“This was not long after Mum had passed away and it served as a really cathartic experience, literally an outpouring of blood, sweat and tears.” 

Taking their time allowed them to approach the renovation of the three-bedroom, “deceptively large shoebox” in a passive and sustainable way, while also sticking to their budget. 

Bit by bit the damaged ceilings were replaced, the bathroom was renovated, and a new kitchen installed after going without a working oven for a couple of years. The removal of an old kitchen cabinet uncovered vintage floral wallpaper that horrified the tradie but delighted the artist – a curio that fits perfectly in a home where a retro ping-pong paddle and a Mexican leather cowboy hat from a girls’ trip take pride of place. 

It’s become a place of rest at any time of year for the family of four, whether swimming at Red Rock Beach – just minutes away – in warm weather, or beachcombing in the chill of winter before toasting marshmallows in front of the wood-fired heater,  Stamer’s “favourite spot in the house”. 

She plans to make Plover Haus available for guests to book in the near future, but there’s no rush. For now,  they’re enjoying time building up their own connection to their second home’s friendly community. 

“Neighbours and holiday-goers take the time to chat and smile,” Stamer says. “Kids play in the middle of the street, and you can always hear the hearty cheer of a backyard cricket match.”